Flying-machine.



D. MOTT.

FLYING MACHINE,

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17,1909.

ENWAQQO Patented Apf. 1, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L) 29 l/Vl/E/VTOR ATTORNEY.

S. D. MOTT.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED'-IBB.17,1909.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l/Vl/E/VTOR W a.

' sans ran 1 SAMUEL l). MQTT, OF PASSAIG, NEW JERSEY.

FLYING-MACHIN E.

insane,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.,

Application filed February 17, 1909. Serial No. 478,413.

and more particularly to those of the'heli-- thereof.

Copter type.

The mam object of the invention is to,

i provide a flying machine of the helicopter 4 type wherein the direction of flight or hOIlzontal traverse is controlled by the shifting,

of the center of gravity and the resultant change in the plane of rotation of the profl peller, with means whereby the center of gravity may be changed by a swiveling movement of the -car and its normally overbalanoed load about the axis of the propeller, andthus avoiding the necessity for 3 changing the load relative to the car itself.

A further object is to provide in a flying machine of this character, a seatiforthe operator, or occupants which may be shiftedtoward and from the axis of the propeller, 3 to change the center of gravity in a manner tdvary the angle of inc ination of the propeller and control the horizontal component of movcment of the entiremachine.

A further object is to provide in ama- 5 chine of this type a steering apparatus which will utilize the air resistance due to the horizontal component of movement to efiect the swiveling of'the car and its load to change the center of gravity about the axis of the propeller. And a still further object is to provide a steering apparatusi which may be controlled from a point fixed relative to the car which will be simple in design and reliable in use, and which will not add materially to the weight of the,

apparatus or use any of the power of the motor to operate same.

The invention cons sts primarily in the combination in a flying machine of the heli-;

copter type, of a propeller having a vertical lift, a motor rotating said propeller, a norz peller, a ball bearing suspension f being mally overbalanced car having a swivel relation to said propeller, whereby a horizontal component of movement results from vsaid propeller, and a. steering-apparatus comprising a rudder projecting ra iallyof axis of rotation of the propeller.

preserve the-car in a said propeller and hinged to the overbalanced car, and means whereby said rudder may be turned to swivel said car. about the axis of said propeller; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the claimshereto appended.

Referring to the drawin s:Figu-re 1 is a side elevation of a mac ine embodying my invention, the showing being of the car on a level keel; and Fig. 2 is a plan View Like letters refer to like parts in both of said views.

In this type'of flying machine which is made the subject matter of my pending application, Serial No. 125 376, filed Sept. 30, 1902, the car is sustained by a propeller having a vertical thrust and is given a horizontal component of movement by tilting the entire machine [to the horizontal by shifting the center of gravity radiall of the lhe car is pendant from and has a swivel relation to the propeller, which latter consists ofoppositely rotated concentric vanes to cause oneto absorb the reactionof the other and position stationary. relativeto the propeller.

In my present invention, I aim to provide simple means for shifting a normally over balanced car clrcumferentially of the main power propeller so as to change the center of gravity relative to said propeller and thus control the, direction of flight of the machine. I I I In the accompanying drawings, a b in dica'tes two sets of rotary vanes inparallel planes, mounted .on concentric shafts a b,

driven from theengine d by means of bevel gears c on the engine crank shafts, which ears are in mesh with oppositely disposed vel gears a 71 carried by the shafts. a b" respectively, This construction results in the rotation of the sets of vanes 05 b in opposite directions so that the reactionof one set .is absorbed. bythe other.

The car e is pendant-from "the shafts a b", the .mannerf of suspension being such as to rmit the car' to swivel relative to the pro relative to the tank 9 is a frame it having llti frame having rails g 9 At opposite points of this frame are the seat '5 and rudder y. The seat 11 is hinged to the rail g and adjustably sustained on a screw threaded rod is pivotally connected to the rail 9 by an adjustment nut 70', so that the seat may be positioned relative to the axis of rotation of the propeller a' b so as to regulate the normal pitch of said propeller to thehorizontal.

The rudder j is hinged to both rails g g in any desired or approved manner, and may be made of metal having low specific gravity, wood, or any other suitable material. Preferably the free edge of said rudder is so shaped as to extend at substantially right angles to the course being described by the machine in iii ht. Extendin laterally from opposite si es of the propel er, are rods Z l to which are attached the rudder lines or chains. Suitable stays we extend from :lgrudder to said rods} to give rigidity the of structure. The'rudder j is positioned in substantial alinement with the center of resistance of the machine.

rods Z Z, respectively.

Projected forwardly of the frame 9 are side rails 17. carrying afoot rod n'r Extending from a ring d about the engine frame to the foot rodn are stays a. Se-

curedto these stays in frontof the seat 6 are a hand rail 0 and a short rod 0 which carry respectively, a bearing for the steering wheel p. This steering wheel is preferably Centered on the longitudinal center line of the machine to secure the desired equipoise. 7 While it may be positioned in any desired manner by using counterweights, the arrangement described is more desirable as excess weight is to be avoided in any heavierthan air machine. Said wheel has a drum 7) around which pass the steering lines or chains 9 passing through the guides r on each side of the top rail 9 and are attached to the outer ends of the The side rails n forwardly ofthepoint of support of the seat 5 carry traction rollers .9 adapted to receive the first impact of the machine in landing and prevent the topchecking a chine when on a til) - pling thereof. The frame 9 has lateral extensions g carrying anchor spikes g for level keel on the ground.

In operation, the occupants or operaltorg as to normally overbalance the machine when the vertical thrust of the powehpropeller a b raises the car 6 from the ground. This overbalancing tilts the propeller in a direction in which the occupants or operators face, thus resulting in a horizontal component of movement to the entire machine giving a horizontal flight with an upward component of movement until the thrust of the propeller a b is equalized with the force of gravity acting on the coupled with lightness forward movement of the mapropeller a b will sustain the machine in the air, and give a horizontal traverse proportionate to the power developed and the angle of inclination of the propeller. As the machine leaves the ground, its direction of horizontal traverse will be in a direction predetermined by the location of the overbalancing load. The speed of traverse, aside from that variance in the power developed by the motor d, will be determined by the angle of inclination of the propeller a b, which pitch will be determined by the poisethe machine in the air. a

. If itbe desired to describe a curve to the left, the left steering line or chain turning the hand wheel 77. This results in the turning of the rudder j on its hinges so as to present a resistance surface to the air to the left of the longitudinal center of the machine, and thus, produce an exdiametrically op osite to that on which the seats 11 pro ect, t us swiveling the car latercumferentially of the propeller a I), thus changing the plane of rotation of the said propeller a b with a resultant change in the direction of It will be observed, complished by swiveling the car stays m extending to the outer that this change is ac end of thd ternal-force developed by the rudder 7' thus permitting lightness in the construction of the rudder. If it be desired to turn to the right, the rudder j is thrown to of said propeller coupled with the speed of flight controlling the radius of the curve described. The propeller being osit-ioned with relation to the center of resistance, it will have no tendency to vary the speed of flight by changing the angle of inclination of the propeller a b. The framework of the machine is preferably made of steel tubing, or other structural material uniting strength and lightness, and tension wires, thus not only reducing the weight of the machineout limiting the load to be moved by the rudder 7'.

counter the ground, permitting the machine l to travel thereover for a short distance until ally and shifting the voverhalancing load ciralone. The 1 machine. When this condition exists, the i distance of the ,overbalancing load from overbalanced no provision being made to is shortened, and the right one lengthened? by ternal force acting tangentially of a radius traverse of the entire machincn os rods Z Z will sustain a portion of the ex- In alighting, the rollers 3 would first eni check such movement.

gravity brought the machine to a level keel, whereupon the anchor spikes 9 would The steering mechanism described accomplishes the swiveling of the car by a simple expedient for developing the necessary external tangential force I am aware that 7 this expedient. per se is not new to the useful arts, but I believe it to be new to accomplish the physical movement of the car of a helicopter by swiveling it relative to the propeller or propellers, by the combination of parts herein shown and described.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, isp 1. In a flying machine of the helicopter type, the combination of a propeller having a vertical lift, a motor rotating said propeller, a normally overbalanced car having a swivel relation to and'movable about an axis coincident with the axis of said propeller, whereby a horizontal component of movement results from the tilting of said propeller, and a steering apparatus comprising a rudder projected radially of said propeller and hinged to the overbalanced car, and means whereby said rudder may be turned to cause the resistance thereof to swivel the car about the axis of said propeller.

2. In flying machine of the helicopter type, thecombination of a propeller having a vertical lift, a motor rotating said pro peller, a car having a swivel relation to and movable about an axis coincident with the axis of said propeller, load carrying means on said car projected radially fromv the axis of rotation of said propellenwhereby said cap isiaiormally' overbalanced and a hori- "iiontal component of movement results from .the tilting-0f said propeller, and a steering apparatus comprising a rudder projecting from a diametrically opposite radius of said propeller, and hinged to'said car, and means whereby said rudder may be turned to cause the resistance thereof to swivel the car about the axis of said propeller.

3. In a flying machine of the helicopter type, the combination of a propeller having a vertical lift, a motor rotating said propeller, a car having a swiveling relation to and movable about an axis coincident with the axis of said propeller, load carrying means on said car projected radially from the axis of rotation of said propeller, where by said car is normally overbalanced, and a horizontal component of movement results from the tilting of said propeller, and a steering apparatus comprising a rudder presenting parallel vane surfaces projecting from said car diametrically opposite the radius of said load carrying means, a hinged connection between said rudder and said car, laterally projecting rods on the opposite sides of, said rudder, a steering wheel having a drum thereon, ropes or chains extending from said rods about said drum, whereby said rudder may be turned to cause a resistance to-swivel the car relative to said propeller.

4c. In a flying machine of the helicopter type, the combination of a propeller having a vertical lift, a motor rotating said propeller, a car having a swiveling relation to and movable about an axis coincident with the axis of said propeller, load carrying means on said car projected radially from the axis of rotation of said. propeller, whereby said car is normally overbalanced, and'a horizontal component of movement results from the tilting of said propeller, and a steering apparatus comprising a rudder presenting parallel vane surfaces projecting from said car diametrically opposite the radius of said load carrying means, a' hinged connection between said rudder and said car, laterally projecting rods on opposite sides of said rudder, stays extending from the ends of said rods to divergent points on the surface of said rudder, a steering wheel having a drum thereon, ropes or chains extending from said rods about said drum, whereby said rudder may be turned to cause a resistance to swivel the car about the axis ofsaid propeller.

5. In a flying machine of the helicopter type, the combination of a propeller having a vertical lift, a motor rotating said propeller, a' car having a swiveling relation to said propeller, including a frame having circular rails, a seat hinged to the upper of said rails, a screw threaded rod hinged to the lower of said rails, a keeper on said seat encircling said rod and an adjustment nut whereby said seat may be adjusted radially of said propeller, and a steering apparatus comprising a rudder hinged adjacentto the bottom and top thereof to said rails and projecting radially of the axis of rotation of said propeller, diametrically opposite said seat, and means whereby said rudder may be turned to cause the resistance thereof to swivel the car about the axis of said propeller.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature, this 25th day of January, 1909, in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL D. MOTT.

\Vitnesses GnoRoE MCCAY, I. V. WENING. 

